Total Health Trust extends CSR to Ojuwoye Community Primary School

The staff of Total Health Trust (THT) recently donated gift items and food stuff to Ojuwoye Community Primary School Inclusive, located within St. Martins Primary School Damengoro Street, Mushin, Lagos and according to the Chairman of THT, Ladi Awosika “it is our extension of the season of love. This is something we do twice a year to select disadvantaged schools in the community. We chose this school because this is Mushin and we actually have our headquarters near this area. We decided on a densely populated area where the families and staff would appreciate the little gesture we are giving.” He said.

For Ladi, “not everyone can afford a three square meal which is actually ideal. If you don’t have good nutrition you are prone to diseases. If you don’t have good nutrition, even when the teacher is speaking, you may not remember anything, if the children are not growing properly, they can’t learn adequately. We are not saying this will completely eradicate poverty here, we just want others to emulate this gesture so there is constant supply of food to them.”

Ladi further called on the federal government to expedite the one-child-one-meal program which he described as an investment in the future of Nigeria.

According to Abimbola Sobade, the assistant general manager, internal audit, “THT is very key on social corporate responsibility and we identify with the physically challenged students here in Mushin local government which is the immediate local government close to THT headquarters and like the adage says, charity begins at home. We have chosen as some of our social corporate responsibility to uplift the welfare of the less privileged children most especially those that are physically challenged, because of their health conditions.”

Echoing the same line of thought is the General manager, operations at THT, Cyril Chiedu who added that “we have actually been longing to do this but it has always been a thug of war, who do we do it for? We have a lot of orphanages we have contributed to in the past but we decided to do it this time to the target audience. It is going to be annual for us. Our plan is to adopt this school and also extend to other schools around the area.”

In the words of the inclusive unit head of the school, Adeleke Owoade Philip, “Government alone cannot do it all. The input of non-government organisations, private individuals and more is what has been sustaining us so we are sincerely appreciative of this. Areas that the government cannot conveniently meet, they are meeting it for us. The parents love it and are happy. Some of them are challenged; most cannot afford 2-3 square meals for their children. So the coming of THT to this place is indeed a blessing.”

Putting up an education facility like the St Martins Primary School was meant to create universal asset for every category of students to access education. Prior to the inclusive unit in Lagos state, there were only 5 special schools.

And the 5 special schools were within 3 local government areas namely Surulere, Mainland and Shomolu but with the creation of 31 inclusive units, there is no single local government in Lagos State that is not having a school for children with special needs.  It therefore emphasises the need for every child to be educated irrespective of challenges or disabilities.

Chinyere Okeke with wired reports